Google Purchases Restaurant Ratings Publisher Zagat

Google's announcement of its purchase of Zagat today has reinforced Google's vision for a "Googleverse". For the uninitiated, Zagat, founded in 1979, is a publisher of pocket-sized and online guides that provide information on "reviews and ratings of restaurants, hotels, and other destinations". With this acquisition, Google will be able to leverage on Zagat ratings and reviews, providing users with even more comprehensive and relevant search results.

As PCWorld puts it:

PCWorld - But, as Zagat content is interwoven with Google Search, Google Maps, and other services, it will take the service to a whole new level of social interaction. Searching for a restaurant or hotel on Google will take on new meaning when the results come complete with Zagat ratings, and when the results are integrated with +1s and Google+ so that you can get more personal results based on the reviews and comments of your own social network.